What should we know about the Alt Penedès?
Alt Penedès or Alto Panadés, is a region that is located in the province of Barcelona. It borders other well-known regions: Baix Penedès, Garraf, Alt Camp, Anoia and Baix Llobregat.
It has a total of 595 square kilometers and this places it in position number 26 in the ranking of the size of the regions of Barcelona. Another interesting fact is that it is made up of a total of 27 municipalities, among which are some as well known as: Vilafranca del Penedès (capital), Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Gelida, Olèrdola and Sant Martí Sarroca.
In the event that you want to access the region, you can do so using any of the following means of transport:
Car. You can get to the capital through the AP-7 motorway. Likewise, the N-340, the C-15 and other secondary roads also cross the region.
Bus. Autocares el Penedès provides service in this region. Specifically, the Vilafranca-Vendrell-Tarragona line runs in both directions with different stops throughout the region.
Plane. If you live outside of Catalonia, perhaps the best option is to arrive using the airspace. The Catalan airports are at the following distance: Barcelona-El Prat 55 kilometers, Reus-Tarragona 70 kilometers, Girona Costa Brava 130 kilometers and Lleida 140 kilometers.
Train. Vilafranca del Penedès and other municipalities in the region have a train station. In the case of Vilafranca, the R4 line of Rodalies de Cataluña (operated by RENFE) passes through its station, which departs from San Vicente de Calders and goes to Manresa. It also passes through other municipalities such as: Santa Margarita y Monjós, La Granada, Subirats, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia or Gelida.
As we have mentioned above, this region is known for its wines and cavas, which is why it is the destination for lovers of these drinks, it even has a Denomination of Origin (DO Penedès).
The 5 towns that you must visit before leaving
All the municipalities in the region are very interesting. Even so, we recommend the following:
Villafranca del Panadés, in Catalan Vilafranca del Penedès. It is the capital of the region and the most populated municipality of all with almost 40,000 inhabitants. If we like something about it, it is that it has different buildings built during the Middle Ages, such as: the Basilica of Santa María, the Baltá Palace (also known as the Fraret Palace) or the Royal Palace. In addition, many wine cellars and cavas are located in this town.
Sant Sadurní de Noya, in Catalan Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. It is the second most populated municipality in the region. Formerly it was known as Sant Sadurní de Subirats and owned the castle of Subirats. Currently, this castle is located between Sant Sadurní and Vilafranca. It is very well preserved and is well of cultural interest and historical heritage. Another aspect to highlight is that, as in the previous case, some of the most famous cava wineries are found here.
Gelida. It is located in the Sierra del Ordal, that is, in a mountainous area. This is one of the areas where the grapes used to make the wines and cavas that belong to the DO del Penedès are grown. In addition to the above, it has the Gelida castle which, although only the church remains intact, is an asset of cultural interest.
Olèrdola. It is one of the municipalities in the region with the most historical deposits. Among others, we can enjoy: the Olèrdola castle, the Roman wall, the old town, the church of San Jaime de Moja or the church of San Miguel de Olèrdola.
San Martín Sarroca, in Catalan Sant Martí Sarroca. It has two monuments declared as assets of cultural interest. On the one hand, the 17th century Romanesque church of Santa María and, on the other hand, the San Martín Sarroca castle, also known as the 10th century Santmartí castle. Both monuments are very well preserved.
The following 22 towns also make up the region: Avinyonet del Penedès, Les Cabanyes, Castellet and Gornal, Castellví de la Marca, Font-rubí, La Granada, Pacs del Penedès, Mediona, Olesa de Bonesvalls, El Pla del Penedès, Puigdàlber, Vilobí , Torrelles de Foix, Subirats, Santa Fe del Penedès, Sant Quintí de Mediona, Torrelavit, Santa Margarida i els Monjos, Sant Pere de Riudebitlles, Sant Llorenç d'Hortons, Pontons and Pacs del Penedès.